Huge iceberg towers over Canadian town

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NEWFOUNDLAND, Canada — Canada’s “Iceberg Alley” is living up to its name this spring, and tourists are flocking to the town of Ferryland to see the behemoth that has grounded just off shore.

The iceberg towers over the picturesque town, which is about an hour south of St. John’s on the east coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Canadian Ice Service classified it as “large,” which means it has a height of 151-240 feet and is between 401 and 670 feet long.

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Kaelam Power went mountain biking along the coast on Tuesday and paused to take pictures of the iceberg.

“It’s quite powerful to see,” he said. “You hear the waves crashing against the water line. From time to time, you may hear a cracking or banging sound.

Photographer Jody Martin braved the crowds on Easter Sunday to see the iceberg.

“It was a beautiful day and a lot of happy faces,” she said. “Everyone seems to enjoy the beauty of the huge iceberg.”

Martin plans to go back soon to try to get some night images.

Iceberg season runs from spring through late summer and the waters start to refreeze in mid-September. A combination of currents bring Arctic ice southward along the Newfoundland coast, which is how it earned the “Iceberg Alley” nickname.

CNN Meteorologist Brandon Miller said it’s rare to have an iceberg this large so close to the shore.

The iceberg looked even bigger last week, when Paddy Wadden went to check it out.

He’s lived in St. John’s his entire life and said the icebergs “are amazing to see in person.”

It’s already been a particularly busy iceberg season.

The International Ice Patrol said 648 icebergs have been seen in the trans-Atlantic shipping lanes as of this week. That’s compared to an average 212 icebergs during that period in a typical year.

If you see the iceberg, or get other interesting weather photos or videos, post them on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook with the hashtag #CNNWeather, but be safe.